Coburn chokes up on Senate floor talking about ill aide

11/30/12 1:00 PM EST

Choking up on the Senate floor, Sen. Tom Coburn said Friday his longtime chief of staff, Michael Schwartz, would be stepping down as he continues his battle with Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Coburn, a conservative Republican from Oklahoma, said Schwartz would still be doing projects for his office but that his health issues meant that he could no longer continue in his role. Schwartz, the former executive of the House Family Caucus and a lobbyist with Concerned Women for America, has been Coburn’s chief of staff for the nearly 15 years he’s served in the House and Senate.

“He's still the guy that cares more about other people than himself,” Coburn said. “The kindness he has shown to everyone he's encountered, whether to a homeless person on the street or a leading senator in the halls, he has reminded our team and me that we are all equal, regardless of position, in the eyes of God.”

Coburn concluded his tribute by saying it been a privilege to be “modeled and mentored” by Schwartz over these many years.